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Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT.
Spring Semester, 2008
Lifespan Development
Psychology 236-02
T/R 11:00-12:15 FD001
Instructor:
Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.
Office: Marcus White #208
Office Phone Number: 860-832-3114
Email address: Fallahic@CCSU.edu
Class web site: www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic/
Office Hours:
Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Text (required):
Santrock, J. W. (2007). A topical approach to lifespan development (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Primis supplement.
Please note: The 2 required books for this course are
being sold as a package at the CCSU bookstore & the
Other bookstore.
Course Objective:
Upon successful completion of this course, the
student should be able to:
1. Identify the major theories in human
development.
2. Define the scientific method and the research
methodologies which are used by Developmental
Psychologists.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of the
environment on physical, cognitive, social and
affective development.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of factors involved in the
interaction of heredity and environment on
development.
5. Identify the stages of growth and their effects on
the individual.
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6. Understand special topics in lifespan development,
e.g. violence, divorce, attachment, etc.
Instructional Methodology:
Class sessions will consist of lectures presented by the instructor. These
lectures will incorporate opportunities for questions and discussion. Students will
be asked to engage in group activities and discussions during class time. Power
point presentations will be available on the class website. Make it a point to
familiarize yourself with our website! Remember: the address is
www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic. If you do not have access to the internet at
home, you can use the computer center in the basement of Marcus White. It is
your responsibility to check for updates, changes in the syllabus, and new
information provided to you on our class website.
Grading System: Final grades are available on the web at www.ccsu.edu.
Grades will be evaluated as follows for each semester hour of credit.
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Points out of 100
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
59 or below
Description
Excellent
Excellent
Good
Good
Good
Average
Average
Below Average
Poor
Poor
Poor, lowest passing
Fail
Evaluation Criteria: There will be three examinations during the semester and
one comprehensive final examination. You may choose to not take the final if
the first three exams yield a grade that pleases you. Otherwise, you may take all
four exams and drop the lowest exam grade. Further, should you miss an
exam for whatever reason, that exam will count as the one grade that
you are dropping. There will be no makeup exams. There won’t be any
exceptions to this policy. Please plan accordingly.
As part of your graded assignments, there will be several in-class quizzes
given throughout the semester. Some quizzes will be announced and others
will be given without any notice. At this point I cannot say how many quizzes
will comprise your grade. There will be the opportunity to drop 1 quiz for any of
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the following reasons, e.g. bad grade / did not take the quiz because you were
not in class. There are no make ups for quizzes for any reason.
As part of the Lifespan course, students are expected to participate in four
psychology experiments. You must sign up for the experiments through
the psychology department’s experimetrix website. In order to do this,
please go to www.ccsu.edu; choose the A-Z index; go to “P” & choose
Psychology. Once you are at the Psychology Department website,
choose Psy 112 students. This choice will lead you to the experimetrix
website. Once you are at this website, you must register & receive a
confirmation from experimetrix. If you experience any difficulty with
this, please email me. It is important that you register. If you do not &
you complete any experiments, I will not receive notice of your
completion. All experimetrix credits & problems must be completed by
May 1st. Once we are past this deadline, I will no longer intervene to
help you with your credits. Through experimetrix, you have the ability to
monitor how many credits you have received. It is up to you to monitor this and
check for accuracy. For each credit you receive through experimetrix, that will
be equivalent to 10 points. Those who object to being a participant in a
psychology experiment can opt for a research paper. If you choose the
research paper assignment, you must clear this with me ahead of time.
Please schedule an appointment or stop by during my office hours to discuss this
option. This assignment will be worth 40 points.
Your grade will be based on three examinations worth 300 points,
numerous in-class quizzes, and the psychology experiment portion worth 40
points.
Examinations will be approximately 70% from lecture material and 30%
directly from the assigned readings. There will be material from the book on
each examination that I have not covered in class.
Vista Information: At any point, you can check your grades via the Vista
system. In order to do that, please go to www.ccsu.edu. Click on the “central
pipeline” option. The secure login for CCSU box will come up. Put in your
bluechip ID number & password. Click on the blackboard vista hyperlink and
choose our course. For first time Vista users, please make sure to complete a
browser check prior to using the system. Students can go to
www.webct.com/tuneup or click on the check browser link inside the system.
Students should go to www.webct.com/trouble to verify that their computer is
set up properly for these systems as well.
If all else fails, you can contact our help desk at 860-832-1720.
Please note, I will only use Vista for secure feedback on grades. All of our class
information will be posted on my website at www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic.
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Please note, I will only use Blackboard Vista for secure feedback on grades. All
of our class information will be posted on my website at
www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic.
Extra Credit: Due prior to May 1st, an optional extra credit paper may be
submitted. To participate in this extra credit assignment, please read an
appropriate journal article (that has been cleared by me) on any topic related to
developmental psychology. Read the article and write a two-page reaction paper
which first summarizes the article (in your own words) and then gives an opinion
about the topic. You must include the article with your paper. Upon successful
completion of the extra credit project, ten points will be added to your
accumulated points.
Due prior to May 1st, you may choose to participate in a fifth, sixth, or
seventh psychology experiment in order to earn an extra ten points a piece
which will be added to your accumulated points. There will only be a
possible 30 extra credit points available from either experimetrix,
journal articles, or a combination of both.
Withdrawal Policy: If you choose to withdraw from this course because you
feel that you are not doing as well as you would like, please speak with me prior
to completing the paperwork. It is not unusual that the first examination is
somewhat lower than students would like to see. Come and speak with me first
before withdrawing and I will talk with you about a plan to help you get the
grade you want. If you decide to stop attending my class without officially
withdrawing, you will receive an automatic “F” on your report card.
Class Attendance Policy: Class attendance is an integral part of the college
experience. The faculty of this university believes that regular class attendance
is necessary for a student to derive the maximum benefit of the learning
experience and to achieve academic progress. All students are expected to
come to class regularly and be on time. Students who miss class are responsible
for the material. Please seek out a fellow student for the notes. Chronic
absenteeism will negatively affect your grade. A large part of my examinations
come from lecture material.
Disability Statement: Any student who feels s/he may need an
accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Natalie
Stimpson-Byers, Coordinator for Student Disability Services at 241 Copernicus
Hall (860-832-1957). Ms. Stimpson-Byers will meet with you privately to discuss
your specific needs. She will need a copy of the accommodation letter from
Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class accommodations.
Contact Student Disability Services, room 241, Copernicus Hall, if you are not
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already registered with them. Student Disability Services maintains the
confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating
reasonable accommodations with your faculty. Please note: If your
disability requires additional time, these arrangements must be made
by you with Natalie Stimpson-Byers. You can have your exam or quiz
proctored at Student Disability Services, but you need to make the
arrangements and let me know about the arrangements at least 3
working days prior to the assignment.
Violations of Academic Integrity: Violations of academic integrity will be
seen as a serious matter resulting in disciplinary action by this university.
Violations of academic integrity include: cheating on exams; plagiarism;
unauthorized assistance from another, etc. Please familiarize yourself with
CCSU’s academic integrity policy and do not put yourself in the position to have
to deal with this.
Course Schedule: This is a rough outline of our course schedule. This is
subject to change based on the needs of the class & the instructor.
Date
Topic
January 22
First day of class
Introduction to Lifespan Development
Reading: Santrock chapter #1
Homework: Make sure that you can access our
website at www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic
January 24
Research in Developmental Psychology
Reading: Santrock chapter #1
Homework: Website homework on research
methodology. Be prepared to go over homework
during the next class. This homework is not collected
or graded, but gives you experience & expertise on
the type of questions that will appear on exam 1.
January 22-29
Add/Drop Period
January 28
Week of
Research Continued
Nature/Nurture; The Evolutionary Perspective;
Reading: Santrock chapter #1
Primis: Introduction to Ethical Issues in Social
Psychology.
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Homework: Website homework on research
methodology. Be prepared to go over homework
during the next class.
Teratogens & the Prenatal Environment
Reading: Santrock chapter #2
Please note: You are responsible for readings in your
book on the prenatal environment. I will not be
lecturing on this topic.
February 5
Special program – Diversity in our Lives: An
Introduction. Location: Torp theater. Please sign in
with Dr. Fallahi. This is mandatory & worth 10
points.
February 7
Special program – Panel Discussion on Diversity.
Location: Torp theater. Please sign in with Dr.
Fallahi. This is mandatory & worth 10 points.
February 11
Week of
Brain Physiology; Aging; Life Expectancy
Reading: Santrock chapter #3
February 13March 25
Last time to withdraw from this course with a “W”
February 15February 18
President’s Holiday – no school
February 18
Week of
Cognitive Development; Piaget; Vygotsky
Reading: Santrock chapter #6
February 26
Tuesday
Examination #1 (Please remember to bring #2 pencil
with erasers. Also, bring your student ID #).
February 28
Special Program for Students on Diversity in DL001.
Please sign in with Dr. Fallahi. This is mandatory &
worth 10 points.
March 3
Week of
Learning & Memory
Intelligence; Mental Retardation; Gifted and Talented
Reading: Santrock chapter #7 & #8
Primis: Is Spanking Detrimental to Children?
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March 10
Week of
Language and Genie
Reading: Santrock chapter #9
March 17 March 22
Spring Recess – No Classes
March 24
Week of
Emotional Development, Parenting, & Other
Relationships
Reading: Santrock chapter #10, 14, & 15
Primis: Does Maternal Employment Have Negative
Effects on Children’s Development?
Primis: Should Same-Sex Couples be Able to Marry?
Primis: Can Lesbian and Gay Couples Be Appropriate
Parents for Children?
April 1
Tuesday
Examination II (Please remember to bring #2 pencil
with erasers. Also, bring your student ID #).
April 3
April 8
Identity & Personality Development
Reading: Santrock chapter #11
Primis: Are Repressed Memories Real?
Readings not covered in class: Trait theories & the
Big Five Factors of Personality.
April 7
Week of
Gender & Sexuality
Reading: Santrock chapter #12
Readings not covered in class: sexually transmitted
Infections.
April 14
Divorce
Primis: Does divorce Create Long-Term Negative
Effects on Children’s Development?
Primis: Are Fathers Essential for Children’s WellBeing?
April 21 &
April 28 &
Moral Development & Prevention of Violence
School Violence & Violence in the Media
Death & Dying
Reading: Santrock chapter #13 & #17
Primis: Does Violent Media Cause Teenage
Aggression?
Primis: Is Viewing Television Violence Harmful for
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Children?
Primis: Does Media Violence Cause Aggression?
Primis: Do Milgram’s Obedience Experiments Help
Explain the Nature of the Holocaust?
Primis: Does the Stanford Prison Experiment Help]
Explain the Effects of Imprisonment?
Santrock Readings (not covered in class): Kubler &
Ross’ stages of dying.
May 1
Thursday
Examination III (Please remember to bring #2 pencil
with erasers. Also, bring your student ID #).
Last day for Experimetrix
May 6
Last day of class – Review for Final Examination.
May 7
Last day of Spring Semester Classes.
May 8-9
Reading Days
May 12-17
Final Examinations.
Final Examination Schedule to be announced.